After the successful launch of the pilot project of biometric-linked ration supply to the white ration card holders, the East Godavari district has now turned into the launching pad for interlinking the electronic point of sale (ePoS) machines with the weighing machines at the mandal-level stock (MLS) points that intended to prevent pilferage in the monthly ration supply.
The process ensures the electronic data transfer of the weight of commodities being supplied to each and every ration dealer from the MLS point and the same of the stock being released to the individual beneficiaries from the dealers.
In the district, 2,859 fair price shops distribute over 25,000 metric tonnes of rice along with pulses and sugar to the white ration card holders every month.
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The stocks are being disbursed to the fair price shops through the 21 MLS points spread all over the district.
Till now, there were complaints from the beneficiaries about under weighing of commodities supplied to them by ration dealers. The dealers, in turn, used to put the blame on those manning the MLS points.
Their claim was that they were getting lesser quantity thus forcing them to adjust the same among the beneficiaries.
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‘Win-win situation’
The interlinking of the ePoS machines and the weighing machines at the MLS points, however, brings in transparency in the entire supply chain and minimises the scope for pilferage . “It is going to be a win-win for the dealers and to the public as well. It gives scope for transparency in the civil supplies system,” says Joint Collector A. Mallikarjuna, who has formally inaugurated the new system at the MLS point at Jaggampeta.
“Now, the weighing of commodities will be done in an accurate manner at every level. Be it the MLS point or the ration shop point, we will get the electronic data and review it periodically,” he said.
It may be recalled that East Godavari district pioneered the linking of Aadhaar to the Public Distribution System way back in September, 2012, and the success of the pilot project enabled the Central government to replicate the same in the rest of the country.
“This is going to be another milestone project in the civil supplies, as we are aiming at supplying the right quantities to the end users by curtailing the pilferage,” points out Dr. Mallikarjuna.